Klipsch
RSW-15
Subwoofers

Product Description

Reference Series powered subwoofers shatter your expectations for deep, driving bass by playing louder and going deeper than significantly larger designs, creating the most dramatic, intense bass you've ever heard or felt. Designed from the ground up for class-leading, room-filling low-frequency performance, the RSW-15 is sonically, cosmetically and technologically matched to the Reference Series. Low-level inputs that also operate as an LFE input (for compatibility with 5.1 digital sound formats) and an adjustable low-pass crossover allow you to configure the subwoofer to your room's acoustics. The easy-to-reach, side-mounted volume control makes for simple setup and convenient level adjustments between music and movie sources.
The RSW-15 surpasses the performance of a conventional 21" single-driver subwoofer through intelligent engineering. Pairing a heart-throbbing 15" rear-firing Cerametallic™ active driver with a 3-inch voice coil and 30-pound motor assembly with a 15" front-firing passive radiator gives you more surface area than a 21" subwoofer in a much smaller footprint.
Powered by a 2400-watt BASH® digital high-efficiency hybrid amplifier, the drivers deliver earthshaking sound without detail-robbing distortion. The RSW-15 is available in furniture-grade blond maple, medium cherry or jet ash wood veneers.

User Reviews

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by
Micstiffy
a Audio Enthusiast

Date Reviewed: March 12, 2009

Bottom Line:

I bought the RSW-15 from a guy in Kitchener Ontario for $450.00! Yes, it does have some dings on two corners but they are on the active side so no one will ever know...he, he, he! This sub is a great performer in terms of musicality, volume, and looks. It doesn't have the best extension (drops off around 25 hz as most have noticed) but everything above that is sex! Its still a great performer today which is impressive when thinking of how far companies have come with sub design in these days. It blends very well with the RF-7s which are very demanding in terms of finding an adequate sub-mate. Whoever said that this sub doesn't blend well with their Bose 700 series speakers isn't the brightest bulb in the house. Of course it doesn't! Who knows what that guy set his crossover too! Still, inspite of it being in a completely different class than the Bose (in terms of output and quality) with the right calibration it probably could still sound great! I wouldn't pay more than 1,000.00 for one because I believe that there are better performs for the money these days like Epik, SVS, AV123, HSU. But, for 450.00 it cannot be beat! Plus, it was made for my current RF-7 system. Bottom line: Its a very good sub in all categories but did not get a perfect score due to its weakness around the 30 hz below region. It is the most musical sub I have ever heard.

Well,I've had this unit over three years and its still goin' strong.The rsw15 has given me great satisfaction and I'd buy it again.I just thought some longer term feedback would be nice for potential buyers.

This sub is awsome great. The bass is extremly tight and clean. I have the Klipsch RF 35 system. I had two RW 12's but they couldn't keep up the 35's. I decided to upgrade to this beast. I auditioned a Pardagim Servo 15 and Definitive Supercube Reference subs neither of them could hang with the Klipsch speakers. This thing is a beast. I highly recommend it.

great product realy delivers.
I have never herd a sub deliver this much bass so clean. Nuaunce eat your heart out. This is the real deal with no smoke and gimics. I played a bass mecanics demo disk and could not hert this beauty. But be warned this one will nock your neighber out of their bed. I found that this sub is great for movies and music but I have herd you need to have realy good maching speakers. I would recomend Klipsch RF-7 for fronts and RC-7 for a center.

I currently have a Klipsch KSW 12 and am fairly happy with it. It sounds great with my Bose 701 Series 2 front speakers. I like "lots" of bass so I thought I would try what most of the salesman at the local audio stores recommended. They said the RSW 15 would "blow" the KSW 12 away, so I bought one. I was "very" disappointed! It is not a musical sub at all. I never could get it to blend with my main speakers, no matter what settings or levels I tried. Even with the sub volume and receiver sub level turned down, the RSW 15 still drawed attention to itself quite a bit. A sub should blend in with your main speakers so you don't really know where the bass is coming from. I "always" could tell where the sub was at. It "did" have the ability to pound and vibrate things a little more than than KSW 12 but at a not so impressive sound quality. It actually took away alot of quality sound from my other speakers. For home theater, it performed better because its weaknesses weren't so noticable. It "will" rattle everything in your house if asked to do so. It has a little deeper and boomier bass than the KSW 12 but didn't sound as good for music or home theater. If both of these subs cost the same, I would honestly pick the KSW 12 over the RSW 15. If you are looking to buy a Klipsch sub, try this. Make the salesman put a KSW next to a RSW sub in the same corner of the room. You will probably notice that the KSW "holds it own" in a sound and bass comparison. The only people that will tell you otherwise is the sales people who more than likely work on commission! Listen to them at more than just one store if possible and make sure the subs you are comparing are set at near the same sub levels and settings on the back of the sub. The KSW subs are definitely under-rated!!!! I took the RSW 15 back within 5 days and got my money back. I am even more content with the KSW 12 now!